Golf-baseball game apparatus



1969 N. MCDOUGALL, JR 3,476,076

GOLF-BASEBALL GAME APPARATUS Fild May 5. 1967 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. /1/,4rr #"fioaaa 4, J2

N 1969 N. M DOUGALL. JR

GOLF-BASEBALL GAME APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5. 1967 INVENTOR /V4 77 /644 4,/e

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No 1969 N. M DOUGALL. JR

GOLF-BASEBALL GAME APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 3. 1967 INVENTOR. 4/477 fl7-W0u6444 v mom V m W M6 United States Patent Oflice 3,476,076 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 US. Cl. 116-120 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A skill, golf-baseball game apparatus, adapted to be played by opposing teams, each consisting of one or more players, wherein balls are putted onto a slanting board formed with ball-drop holes, the dropping of balls through different holes signifying various baseball happenings, looking toward scoring runs, failure to thus drop balls, accompanied by falling of balls ofi? the sides of the board denoting outs and/or strikes, the apparatus further comprising a scoreboard having stationary and rotary members, the rotary members being adapted to be rotated to positions indicating the situations of the game in progress, as well as the scores of the opposing teams. The apparatus further comprises a movable floorsupported device which serves both to indicate the succeeding innings, and to determine, relative to the gameboard, selected putting distances from the board. This device also is usable as a handicapping device.

This invention relates to a skill game apparatus which is played by sides or teams of more than one player, or by sides composed of single players, putting golf balls and which is scored like baseball on a special player actuated scoreboard.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an attractive and competition producing game apparatus of the kind indicated, which 'alfords opposing players, either in pairs or in teams, the attraction of putting golf balls for practice and the development of accuracy, and the additional interest afforded by competition in a baseball game.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive game apparatus of the character indicated above, which comprises a stationary ramp, leading up to a playing surface or baseball diamond, the diamond being canted toward the ramp and containing first base, second base, third base, and home base holes of graduated diameters, to which the players attempt to putt a golf ball, with which are associated ball return means which receive balls falling through holes or falling off the sides of the diamond.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a vertically supported scoreboard having rotatable means adapted to be appropriately turned by players to record baseball plays and scores, and associated members for indicating innings and players, and occupancies of bases, and the like.

A still further object of the invention is the provision, in game apparatus of the character indicated above, of an elongated ball rack, adapted to mark putting locations and to indicate innings played.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a playing device of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a left-hand end elevation of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of FIGURE 1, partly broken away and in section;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic plan view, on a reduced scale, showing an arrangement of the ball rack relative to the device;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical transverse section, taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical longitudinal section, partly broken away and in section, taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a front elevation of a scoreboard of the present invention;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation thereof;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line 10-10 of FIGURE 8; and

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on the line 1111 of FIGURE 10.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated playing device P comprises a flat elongated rectangular base plate 14, having a forward end 16 and a rear end 18. The forward end 16 is adapted to rest upon a suitable surface, such as a floor F. The base plate 14 slants rearwardly and upwardly at a small acute angle, and is supported, on the floor F, at its rear end, by means of a transverse foot 20.

The base plate 14 has extending rearwardly along its side edges, upstanding chute walls 22, of uniform height, having rear ends 24 spaced forwardly from the rear end of the base plate 14. Relatively short rearwardly and inwardly inclined rear walls 26 extend inwardly from the rear ends of the chute walls, to the side walls 28, which are parallel spaced inwardly from the chute walls.

The side walls 28 consist of major length main portions 30 of uniform height, which extend forwardly and downwardly from the rear end of the base plate 14 and join right triangular portions 32, the latter having upper edges 34 Which slant downwardly and forwardly from the upper edges of the main portions 30, to the forward end of the base plate 14. A perpendicular rear wall 36 extends upwardly from the rear end of the base plate and rises above the main side wall portions 30. Right triangular upward extensions 38, of the side wall portions 30, extend therealong and are joined to the rear wall 36, above the portions 30.

A flat top or playing plate 40, whose upper surface constitutes the playing surface or baseball diamond, is joined at related edges thereof, to the upper edges of the main side wall portion 30, and to the rear wall 36. A flat ramp plate 42, which slants forwardly at an acute angle, extends between the front end of the base plate 14, and the forward end of the top plate 40, and is joined thereto, as well as to the upper edges of the triangular side wall portions 32.

The top plate 40 declines forwardly at a small angle, and is formed with four strategically distributed ball drop holes, consisting of a relatively small home-run hole 44, centered in the top plate, close to the forward end thereof, a larger first base hole 46 located adjacent to the rightband edge of the top plate 40, and located spacedly between the home-run hole 44, and the real wall 36, a second base hole 48 of smaller size that the hole 46, centered in the top plate adjacent to its rear end, and a third base hole 50 somewhat smaller than the second base hole 48 and located on a line with the hole 46 near the left-hand edge of the top plate 14.

Three ball return chambers are defined by a front ball diverting V-shaped upright wall 52, whose sides converge rearwardly, extends across and is secured to the top plate 40 and the base plate 14, and to the side walls 28, immediately behind the home-run hole 44. The side walls 28 are provided with openings 54 in front of the ends of the Wall 52.

An intermediate ball diverting wall 56, like the wall 52, is similarly arranged, immediately behind the first and third base holes 46, 50, A similar rear ball diverting wall 58 is'lo'cated immediately behind the second base hole 48. The walls 56 and 58 lead to side wall openings 57 and 59, respectively.

With this arrangement, balls putted up along the ramp onto the top plate 40, and falling through any of the holes, will be caused by the diverting walls, to roll toward a side wall 28, through a side wall opening, into a ball return chute, and then roll gravitationally forwardly to and beyond the open end of the chutes, onto the floor F, to be recovered by a player.

A special scoreboard S, for use with the instant playing device P, and capable of use also with other related devices, and which usually would be supported on a table, comprises, as shown in FIGURES 8 to 11, a folding floor engaging support 60, having a rearwardly canted vertical fixed member 62, on the front of which is centrally fixed a rear non-rotatable disc 64, which is traversed by a pivot pin 66, fixed to the vertical support 62. A rear rotatable disc 68, smaller in diameter than the rear disc 64, is centrally journaled on the pin 66. A forward rotatable disc 70, smaller in diameter than the rear rotatable disc 68, is centrally journaled on the pivot pin 66, and is smaller in diameter than the forward rotatable disc 70.

The fixed disc 64 has a segment 74 of numerals arranged around its peripheral edge, running clockwise, as from 1 to 50, indicating baseball runs scored by either competing side or team. The numeral 1 is located at the top center of the disc 64. The rear rotatable disc 68 has thereon an outstanding combined rotating handle and arrow 76, which is aligned between the numeral 1 and the numeral 50, at the start of the game, and which, the game progresses, is used to rotate the disc 68 and put the arrow 76 in line with the numeral representing the baseball score.

The rotatable disc 70 has thereon an outstanding, combined handle and arrow 78, by means of which the disc 70 is adapted to be rotated, in the same manner as the disc 68, relative to the numerals and the disc 68. Thus the arrow handle 76, on the disc 68 is employed to indicate the score of one side or the visitors," while the handle arrow 78 is employed to indicate the score of the other or home" side.

The fixed front disc 72 is formed with four similar diameter semi-circular holes, including a second base hole 80, at the top center thereof, an outs hole 82, at the bottom right of center thereof a right-hand first base hole 84, and a left-hand third base hold 86, horizontally aligned with each other across the disc 72. A strikes hole 83 is located to the left of center, in line with the outs hole 82. As shown in FIGURES 10 and 11, the disc 70 is formed, registered with each of these holes, with concentric, enlarged diameter holes 88, in which fit and turn colored half-discs, or semicircular discs 90, which are confined in place by the front fixed disc 72. The edges of the holes 88 are formed, at one end thereof with notches 92, and adapted to act as stops for tees or pegs 96, inserted in the holes 97, provided in the half-discs, at one end thereof.

Relative to the outs hole 82, and the strikes hole 83 which are circular, rotary discs 98 and 99, larger in diameter than the holes 82 and 83, are confined in place like the half-discs, and are provided with outstanding arrow handles 99', by means of which the discs 98 and 99 are adapted to be rotated to point to circumferentially spaced indicia on the disc 72, including numerals l, 2, and 3, and 0, indicating the number of cuts and/ or strikes at any particular time of play. The half-discs 90 are rotatable to indicate whether or not a base is occupied As in the instance of second base, shown in FIGURE 8, its half-disc has been rotated, by means of a tee 96 inserted in its hole 97, so as to expose a colored background, on the disc 68, showing occupation of that base.

An elongated ball rack R, comprises an inverted channel form, f suita le bent o press d s et mate i a ing fiat upwardly and inwardly converging side walls 100, having longitudinally spaced notches 102, in their lower edges. The side walls merge, at their upper edges, into bends 104, connected to the upper edges of relatively narrow, inwardly and downwardly angled trough walls 106 which, at their lower ends, are connected to related side edges of a relatively narrow, fiat horizontal bottom wall 108. The bottom wall 108 is formed, at regularly spaced intervals therealong, with round holes 110, smaller in diameter than, and adapted to seat golf balls B, the holes 110 being nine in number, corresponding to the nine innings of a normal baseball game.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the ball rack R is laid upon the floor or other surface, to the right of and in front of the device P, with its front end positioned at an arbitrarily selected distance away from the device P. A player then places another ball, on the floor, in line with the rackcontained ball, and putts toward the device P. After each inning the rack ball is moved back one space, so that at each subsequent inning the player putts from a greater distance from the device P. This arrangement enables a handicapping system, wherein experienced players could be made to putt from greater distances than inexperienced players. The rack R also serves as an inning indicator or recorder.

The player then putts the ball towards the device P, with the purpose of sending the ball through a selected one of the ball holes or bases of the device P. Should the ball drop through any hole or base, the appropriate halfdisc of the scoreboard S is rotated to indicate a hit corresponding to the play. Should the ball roll off the ramp of the device P, or roll off the sides of the playing surface and drop into a ball chute, an out is scored, and is correspondingly indicated on the scoreboard S, by rotating the disc 98 from its 0 position. The player keeps on putting until he is out.

The players of opposing teams, or single opponents, putt in turn until three outs take place. These playing operations are alternated and continued, until nine innings have been played, or in the case of a tie game, until one side wins.

Should a ball which has been putted roll off the ramp of the device P, directly onto the floor, on which the device rests, this counts as a strike. Three consecutive strikes constitute an out. Should a putted ball roll off the side of the playing surface, into a chute, without first going through a hole, this also constitutes an out. When one player constitutes a side that player putts in his half of an inning until he has made three outs. When a side consists of more than one player, players putt in turns on a side, but each player in his turn putts until he is out, and his teammates continue to putt until three outs complete their half inning.

What is claimed as new is:

1. Golf-baseball game apparatus comprising a baseball scoreboard, said scoreboard comprising a folding stand, a fixed vertical circular rear plate secured to the stand, a pivot pin extending centrally through said rear plate, a rear rotatable disc journaled on the pin and engaged with the front of the rear plate, said rear disc being smaller in diameter than the rear plate, a forward rotatable disc journaled on said pin and bearing against the front of the rear rotatable disc, said forward rotatable disc being smaller in diameter than the rear rotatable disc, a fixed non-rotatable front disc smaller in diameter than the forward rotatable disc, said front disc being centrally fixed on said pin, a first fixed outstanding arrow-like handle on said rear rotatable disc, a line of successive run-indicating numerals on the rear fixed plate to which said first arrow is adapted to be refer-red, means designating said rear rotatable disc as to one set of opponent players, said forward rotatable disc having means thereon indicating another set of opponent players, a second outstanding arrow-like handle on said rear rotatable disc adapted to be aligned with run-indicating numerals.

2. Golf-baseball game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fixed front disc carries means for separately indicating outs, first-base, second-base, and third-base player situations.

3. Golf-baseball game apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for separately indicating outs, firstbase, second-base, and third-base player situations comprises :a circular hole through the front disc at a home- -base location, semi-circular holes through said front disc, at the first, second, and third-base locations, a circular rotatable disc having a third arrow-like handle outstanding thereon, said rotary disc being confined between the front disc and the front rotary disc and registered with the circular hole, semi-circular half discs registered with the semi-circular openings and rotatably confined between the front disc and the forward rotary disc, and means for individually rotating said half discs to close and to open the semi-circular holes and expose the surfaces of the forward rotatable disc.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

